Separator



A. J. DENNIG.

SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION men Nov 18. 1920.

1 $18,866. Patented June 6', 1922.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 2- [HT/672L107 14L EXA/VDEE [DEA/M6 9 Q FM STATE ATENT oFFicE;

' sEPARAroB,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Y J 11116 6, 1922 Application filedlNovember 18, 1920. Serial No. 124,882.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AL XANDER J. DEN- NIG, a citizen of the United States, resident of lvfinneapoliacounty ofHennepin, and Stat of Minnesota, have invented vcertain new and useful vImprovements in Separators, of which the followingis a specification.

a This invention relates to improvements in separators and particularly in that class of separators adapted to segregate the heavier refuse particles, such as bits of stone, iron, gravel, etc., which ar usually present in seedlings, feed, and similar materials. f v

This invention is particularly directed to separators operating on the pneumatic or air-draft principle which broadly involves the provision of a chute for the feed material across which anair blast is directed so that the heavier refuse particles are not deflected from their gravitational travel while the lighter valuable particles are deflected and retained in a suitable closure.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved separator.-

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the objects of this inventlon, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow. I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and partiallyin section of the separator,

Figure 2 is a; view in side elevation of the upper portion of the separator struce Figure 3 is a the separator,

Fig. i is a detail view showing the baffles 28 of Fig. 1 on a larger scale.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the view in end elevation of device showing the baffles 28 in front view.

In the embodiment of the invention here disclosed, there is provided a chute 5 having upon itsupper end a hopper 6 in which the feed material to be separated is adapted to be received. The base of the hopper 6 is provided with an outlet 7 adapted to be closed by a gate 8, slidably mounted in the chute and manually operable by the handle he s once ed- 9 by means of which the feedmaterial may I be permitted to, drop, at the desired rate, into the chute 5. The lower end of the chute has connected thereto a refuse passage 11 which substantially forms a continuation of the chute. This passage 11 is. preferably at an angle to, the median line of the upright chute 5 and is terminallyopen to afford an outlet-for the refuse material which may may be collected in areceptacle 12 suitably p itione ther un r The chute 5 and refuse passage 11 are preferably formed by a casing 10 of sheetmetal shaped to provide the hollow chute or passagewhich is preferably rectangular in cross-section.

One wall of the chute 5 is cut away to provide a lateral opening. The similar sheet-metal casing 10 of the feed passage .13 is connected to the chute 5ad jacent this opening so that the feed passage 13 communicates' with the chute interior. The lower end ofthe housing of thefeedpaa sage is adapted to be secured-inn shouldered aperture formed in the housing 15 of the usual mill 16. The feed passage thus coni- A municates with the mill interior. This chute and passage structure is. thus supported by the mill housing, although, obvi ously, other or additional supportsor braces may be employed. The mill and exhaust fan structure is in commercial use at prescut and snot novel so far as theinventor As the feed material is permitted to drop down the chute 5, its natural course is through the refuse passage 11.

isrnade in this structure so that an air draft Provision to the mill. Such air draft permits the heavier refuse articles in the feed material to drop down t e refuse passage against this draft while the relatively-lighter feed isde- ,flected and-carried by the draft into the feed This air draft is effected by means of the fan 17 mounted upon the mill shaft 18 actuable by the pulley 21 fast on the shaft 18 This fan 17 is ofthe' exhaust type and a functions to create a partial vacuum in the pipe 19 commun catingas is usual with the enill interior and hence causing a downward air draft through the communicating feed passage 13. The air draft downwardly traveling in the feed passage 18 is normally drawn from the casing.exteriorupwardly through the refuse passage, across the chute and through the lateral opening into the feed passage.

v A deflector, comprising a plate QQsubstantially of a width to extend across the chute, is pivotally mounted 011 the rod 23 pivotally borne by the casing and having its ends projecting to the casing exterior; A lever 24 is fixedly secured to the rod 23 and is movable to regulate the position of the plate 22 within the chute. The lower end of this lever arm carries a headed pin 25 insertable as desired in a plurality of holes 26 carried by an arcuately curved arm 27 bolted to the chute casing 10. The position of this deflector plate for the average run of feedma terial is shown in Figure 1 wherein the feed material dropping down the chute from the hopper, is deflected by the plate to that side of the chute-having the lateral opening'so that the feed material to be separated will fall in a stream adjacent this opening in order that the air draft may more effectually achieve its separatingfunction.

Defiecting or checking means suchas baffies are desirably interposed in the lateral opening in the chute casing 10. i As here disclosed, these battles are shown as a plurality of plates 28. These may be mounted for pivotal movement and a simple means of mounting is here shown which consists in providing a rod 29 for each plate, each rod being borne in alinedapertures in the casing 10 and terminally flattened or headed to'prevent unseating. Three such plates 28 are here shown and the two upper plates are each provided with astrap 31, bolted to the plate on the under side. Eachstrap passes around the adjacent rod and provides a freely pivotal support for the upper plates. The lower plate is preferably secured to its rod so that any rod movement will cause movement of the plate. Means are provided for manually turning this rod while all plates are movable in unison by means of a tie-bar.

The lower plate is secured to the lower rod by means of rivets passed through the plate and rod, hence any rod movement'is imparted to the lower plate. A tiebar is provided at the rearof allplates and carries a strap having a plurality of looped portions 34, one to be passed through an aperture in the rear of each plate so that movement of the lower plate causes a corresponding movement of the two upper plates.

The manual turning of the lower rod is effected by a crank 35 formed by a continuation of the lower rod. Thiscrank is positioned adjacent a corrugated latch bar 36 bolted to the exterior of the casing 10. This bar is arcuately shaped and its corrugated surface provides the desired elevations and ,iiseee plates 28 are thus adapted selectively to be positioned at any desired inclination and temporarily to arrest or direct the falling feed material. in normal operation, the battle plates 28 are inclined downwardly toward the refuse so that the heavier refuse particles dropping thereon will roll down the plates to the refuse passage against the ascending air draft therein. When heavier stock or feed material is being separated, it has been found advantageous to give less inclination to these bafrle plates.

In order to regulate the amount and direction of the air draft circulating in the separator, a number of by-passes or air intakes are preferably provided. Each intake is covered by a suit-able gate which is manually operable to open and close its intake.

One such air intake 37 is provided in the Wall of the chute opposite the lateral opening leading to the feed passage. This intake is provided with a gate 38. This gate is three-sided, its central portion being pivotally mounted on arod 39 carried by the separator casing 10 and adapted to open and close the intake 37. The lateral portions of this gate are shaped to remain closely adjacentthe sides of the casing. An arcuate slot 41 is provided through which projects a pin 42 carrying thereon in threaded engageinent a wing-nut 43 by meansof which the gate may be clamped in a plurality of adjusted open positions orretained in closed position. During normal operation, this gate is retained closed, but when heavier feed material is being separated, it has been found advantageous to have the draft travel directly across the chute pastltlie battle plates more etliciently to carry relativelyheavier feed particles directly into the feed passage.

Anotherair intake 4A: is provided in the casing 10 at the top of the feed passage.

This intake may also be held in adjustably open or closed position by means of the gate it) similarly adapted to be held in the selected position by means of its slot 46, pin 4;? and wing-nut 48. Preferably, this pin and slot locking construction is provided to cooperate with each lateral portion of each gate as suggested at the right in Figure 3. This gate is also closed during normal runs of the separator with average feed material but may be opened to obviate an ascending draft in the refuse passage or a strong cross-draft on the batlle plates 28. This gate is opened during runs of relatively lightweight feed materials.

I claim as my invention:

1. A separator including a chute having a lateral opening, a hopper at the upper end of the chute to supply feed material thereto, a refuse passage connected to the lower end of the chute and substantially forming a continuation thereof, a feed passage communicating with the chute through said lateral opening, a deflector pivotally mounted on the chute above said opening and operable to direct the feed material toward said opening, and means to cause an air draft to travel upwardly through the refuse passage across the chute and into the feed passage, whereby the heavier particles of the feed material drop down the refuse passage against the draft and the lighter feed is car ried by the draft into the feed passage.

2. A separator including a chute, a hopper at the upper end of the chute to supply feed material thereto, a refuse passage connected to the lower end of the chute and substantially forming a continuation thereof, a feed passage communicating with the chute, means to cause an air draft normally to travel upwardly through the refuse passage, across the chute and into the feed passage, whereby the heavier particles of the feed material drop down the refuse passage against the draft and the lighter feed is carried by the draft into the feed passage, an

air intake in the feed passage, a gate to close the intake and operable to cause the air draft to travel downwardly through the feed passage without traveling through the refuse passage or across the chute.

3. A separator including a chute having a lateral opening, a hopper at the upper end of the chute to supply feed material thereto,

I a refuse passage connected to the lower end of the chute and substantially forming a continuation thereof, a feed passage communicating with the chute through said lateral opening, a deflector mounted in the chute and operable to direct feed material toward the opening, a plate pivotally carried by the chute and projecting across the opening and extending within the chute, the plate being adapted temporarily to arrest the fall of the material in the chute, and means to cause an air draft to travel upwardly through the refuse passage across the chute through said opening and downwardly through the feed passage, whereby the heavier particles of the feed material drop against the draft through the refuse passage and the lighter feed is carried into the feed passage.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of November, 1920.

ALEXANDER J. DENNIG. 

